Remember
by Spiral of Destiny
Summary: Following an evening concert, Eyes Rutherford takes a moment to reflect on the past and what the future holds for him. Set after the end of the manga. Spoilers. Eyes and Kanone friendship. No pairings. Please review


**Remember**

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 _Disclaimer: I do not own Spiral: Suiri No Kizuna. All ownership and credit for the story goes to Kyo Shirodaira and Eita Mizuno. I only claim ownership of this original fanfiction story._

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The full moon hung bright overhead as Eyes Rutherford stood outside the massive theater, staring at the sky. The roar of applause still echoed in his ears, an unwelcome intruder into the solitude of the moment.

It had been a over a year since Kanone's passing, but on nights like this, when the world was quiet and the ache of the wound in his chest was sharp, he couldn't help but think of the friend he had lost.

Kanone's impact on Eyes' life was not a subtle one and he thought about the older man often. They had grown apart as the years went on, it was true, but Eyes had never stopped caring for Kanone. He knew in his heart that the same had been true for Kanone.

Eyes grit his teeth.

"It's my fault…" His voice seemed loud against the quite of the night air despite the fact that the words had barely sounded above a whisper. He closed his eyes.

The last moments of Kanone's life flashed through his mind. He frowned as the silent image crossed his vision.

 _"Take it, Ayumu-kun. This is your hope!"_

"Hope!" Eyes' tone was angry as he lowered his head to face the ground, his eyes closing tighter. The words spoken were strained. "What's the point in having hope if you aren't here with us?" His body relaxed and he dropped his head fully, resting his chin lightly against his chest. Slowly he opened his eyes again,looking at nothing in particular.

"You were so foolish, Kanone. You didn't have to die. We could have found another way…" His eyes misted slightly and he looked back up at the moon, blinking away the moisture as he focused on the luminescent surface.

He didn't blame Kanone. Deep down he knew that the German teen had wanted to die. Since leaving the Blade Children Kanone had been trying to die. He wanted someone to kill him; to end it all. He had longed for a death that would mean something.

Eyes' gaze softened.

"You were just too tired… You'd had enough, hadn't you?" Slowly his expression saddened.

"It's my fault." He said again.

Eyes believed this wholeheartedly. Kanone had pretended as though his actions were for the good of the Blade Children as a whole, but Eyes knew deep down that the green eyed boy would have thought twice about letting Hizumi kill him had Eyes not been a factor. Right to the end Kanone had been looking out for him. Eyes knew it was true. He'd always protected the younger man, his younger brother, even when music had carried him far beyond the reach of the "Winged Gun". Still Kanone had looked out for him; had protected him. What had changed to make things turn out as they had?

His mind drifted to Kiyotaka. The "great detective" had kept his promise to Ayumu and had made it so the Blade Children could live normal lives. Eyes was now 18 years of age and had yet to be affected by the curse of his blood. Ayumu seemed optimistic about their future and contacted Eyes often to keep him updated on the lives of the other Blade Children still residing in Japan. But it was a bittersweet outcome.

The pain in Eyes' chest spiked and he clasped his hand over his heart. A small hitch in his breathing sounded as the wound ached. It only took a moment for the pain to subside but Eyes didn't withdraw his hand. He pressed his palm thoughtfully against the fabric of his tuxedo, placing pressure on the narrow scar that rested beneath it. Although the physical injury had long since healed, the emotional feelings associated with the event that had caused the scar were still very prominent. He wasn't angry with Kanone over what he'd done. His actions had been wrong, but in his own way he had been trying to protect the Blade Children in the only way he could find. Eyes couldn't fault him for that.

Slowly a tear ran down his face as he looked at the moon once more. It was hard to let go, but he knew it was necessary in order to move forward. What was done couldn't be changed. He couldn't bring Kanone back. He couldn't change the past. There was no way to alter fate.

But just because he couldn't change the past didn't mean he had to forget. Kanone had been and still was the most important person in Eyes' life; his best friend. Maybe in the future that would change? He didn't know. But for now he chose to grieve, to hurt, to heal, and to remember.

He couldn't stop blaming himself for Kanone's death. He probably never would. Whether it was true or not didn't matter. It was something he'd need to learn to live with. But with time he was confident that he would be able to move forward again. Time healed all wounds. This one might just need a bit longer than most. Gently Eyes wiped the tear from his face, his expression calm once more. He heard footsteps coming quickly up behind him.

"Mr. Rutherford, please come back inside. The audience is waiting for your final performance." Slowly Eyes turned away from the moon, facing the man who had spoken.

"Very well. Let us go back."

Without a word he followed the man back toward the performance hall. The silence of the night was chased away by the din of voices coming from within the grand theater. With a final glance back at the moon, he returned Kanone to the secret part of his soul and turned to face his future. Applause erupted as he took his place at the piano and all fell silent at the sound of the first note. The hall was soon filled with the melancholy melody of the piece that was closest to Eyes' heart; the one he had never played for Kanone.

This time, as his fingers danced across the keys, the notes took on a deeper emotion; a stronger tone. This time, he was playing for Kanone. If Kanone couldn't live, then he would live for him. He would embrace Kanone's sacrifice and live every day for every moment.

In time he would move on. In time it wouldn't hurt to move forward without him. In time he might even stop blaming himself. But no matter what happened in the future or where fate led him, he would always keep Kanone by his side.

No matter what. He would always remember.


End file.
